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B. H. OOFFEY. APPARATUS FOR DREDGING 0R PUMPING GRITTY FLUIDS. No.547,538.

Patented Oct. 8, 1895.

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. B. H. OOFPEY. v APPARATUS FOR DREDGING OR PUMPING GRITTY FLUIDS.

Nrrno STATES 'ATENT FFIC BARTON H. COFFEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,538, dated October8, 1895.- Application filed November 16, 1394. Serial No. 528.976- (Nomodel.)

$0 at whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, BARTON H. COFFEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Dredgingor Pumping Gritty Fluids, fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the pumping of grittyfluids without clogging the suction-pipe or cutting the pump-cylinder bythe intrusion of grit to the piston-packing. Heretofore two pistons havebeen connected together by a walking-beam and used for pumping grittyfluids by applying waterpressure alternately to their upper sides, thewater being permitted to leak past the edge of the piston upon thedownward stroke to wash the wall of the cylinder and prevent theintrusion of grit. Such a use of the water is available, because thewater-pressure which actuates the piston is necessarily, in order toproduce motion, greater than the resistance of the fluid below the same.

My present invention furnishes a means of washing the wall of thecylinder by a similar movement of the fluid in cases where the pistonsare not actuated by hydraulic pressure, but by force applied to thepiston-rod. To effect this result, I connect the space above the twopistons by a suitable water-channel and forceinto such channelcontinuously a sufflcient supply of water to produce and to feed theflow past the edges of the pistons. As the pistons move in oppositedirections by their connection through the walking-beam, the fluid abovethe pistons does not change in volume, but moves back and forth from onecylinder to the other through the water-channel.

I have shown my improvements diagrammatically in the annexed drawings,which illustrate two upright cylinders having their pistons connected bya walking-beam,which is provided with a lever-arm to which the power maybe applied. The means for vibrating this lever-arm is not shown in thedrawings,

as it forms no part of the present invention.

The invention is shown applied to an apparatus for dredging in which thepumping-devices are located upon a scow.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the scow with the pumping apparatus.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of one of the pump-cylinders and thewater-channel connected therewith. Fig. 3 showsthe scow in longitudinalsection floating in the waterwith the suction-pipe extended to the mudin the bottom and drawn in sectionat itslower end, the scow anddischarge-pipe being broken for want of room, the water-level beingshown by line a: :0. Fig. 4 is a plan of the same parts with the outerend of the suction-pipe broken 01f. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of thesuction-pipe, taken on line 5 5 in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an elevation of thesuction-pipe with a section of the watersleeve. Fig. 7 is a sectionalplan of the suction-pipe on line 7 7 in'Fig. 6.

A designates the scow; B, the cylinders of the dredging-pump, having thesand-chambers C at the bottom connected by pipes D with an air-chamberE. 'An outward discharge-pipe F is led from the air-chamber to dischargethe sand and water at any suitable point. The piston-rods G areconnected by walking-beam H, having lever-arm I, which may be vibratedby any suit-able means, as a steam-engine and crank-gearing. Thesandcharnbers O are connected by swivel-joints J with the suction-pipeK, having its nozzle K turned downwardly to penetrate the mud, which isindicated at L in Fig. 1, at the bottom of the water-body M, in whichthe scow is supported.

Where the nozzle is inserted directly in the mud, silt, or sand, it isliable to settle therein and to become clogged, and I therefore furnisha means of supplying water to the mouth of the nozzle from thewater-body above the bottom. Such means consists of a sleeve N sustainedaround the nozzle at a suitable distance therefrom and supplied withfluid from the water-body, the water entering at the upper end to feedthe bottom of the nozzle with a suitable proportion of fluid. The sleeveforms an annular water-space K around the nozzle, and so madeadjustable, so as to project it more or less beyond the end of thenozzle to admit a greater or less proportion of water thereto, accordingto the character of the mud. To effect such adj nstmentI apply aclamp-collar O to the nozzle above the upper end of the sleeve andconnect it to the top of the same by adjusting-screws 19, having nuts19' fitted to opposite sides of a flange 01 upon the top of the sleeve.The sleeve is centered around the lower edge of the nozzle by aclamp-collar 0', formed with lugs 0 which project in differentdirections to the inner side of the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 7. Thesleeve is made of greater length than the penetration of the nozzle intothe mud, and its upper end is thus always exposed to the water, whichthus readily flows into the top of the sleeve, as indicated by thearrows in Fig. 3, and mingles with the sand or mud at the bottom of thenozzle, the movement of the latter into the nozzle being represented bythe arrows below the nozzle, where the nozzle and sleeve are shown insection to exhibit such movement. The greater the projection of thesleeve beyond the mouth of the nozzle the greater the proportion ofwater which would enter the nozzle with the sand or mud, and the degreeof dilution may thus be regulated by suitably adjusting the sleeve.

In Fig. 1 the upper ends of the cylinders B are shown connected by apipe or water-channel Q, and a steam-pump R is shown drawing water fromthe body M through a pipe '2' and delivering it into the channel Q, bypipe 1*.

The means for washing the wall of the cylinder is shown in Fig. 2, whereone of the cylinders is shown in section, with the pipe Q forming thewater-channel. The cylinder is shown with removable lining S, havingpiston T fitted thereto, with a fibrous packing T at the upper part ofits periphery, and a Watergroove a formed in the edge of the pistonbelow the same. Holes it are extended from the groove to the upper sideof the piston, and the edge of the piston below the waterlevel is madeto slightly clear the wall of the cylinder to permit a thin film ofwater to escape downwardly. As already stated, the volume of water abovethe pistons in the two cylinders and the channel Q is unchanged by thealternate motion of the pistons, and the movement of a film of waterdownward from the groove a in each of the pistons can thus be producedby maintaining above the pistons T an excess of pressure over that whichis required below the pistons to discharge the fluid from thesand-chambers O. The pump R is operated to maintain such excess ofpressure in the upper parts of the cylinders B by delivering a fixedvolume of fluid through the pipe 1" while the pistons T are in motion.To prevent any over-pressure in the cylinders B, which would needlesslystrain the same, a loaded safety-valve may be applied to the pipe 0* orthe channel-pipe Q, or a by-pass valve, which is indicateddiagrammatically at s in Fig. 1, may be inserted in the pipe 1" andconnected with the suctionpipe 9, thus delivering back to the suction ofthe pump the excess of fluid from the pipe Q. A steam-pipe t is shownconnected with the power-cylinder 0f the pump R, and a throttlevalve 25'is shown inserted in the same, which may be governed by apressure-regulator inserted in the pipe 7'', such regulator beingdiagrammatically indicated and designated by the lettero and connectedbylink o with the lever of the valve Z. By such construction thepressure-regulator would control the speed of the pump, and any excessof pressure above the pistons T may be automatically prevented.

It is obvious that the grit in the fluid below the pistons T would,during the downward or forcing stroke, tend very forcibly, if notbalanced by a pressure above the pistons, to crowd upward into thefibrous packing T, and thus cause a cutting of the cylinder-walls. Bymaintaining a pressure above the pistons in excess of the maximumpressure below the same, I wholly prevent such upward movement of thegritty particles, and I also secure a downward movement of the cleaniluid past the edge of the piston, which forces the grit before the sameduring the downward stroke.

The improvements described enable me to control the flow of the grittymaterial into the sand-chambers C, while they also prevent injury to thecylinder in pumping such material.

Ileretofore in the sand-pumps used in wellboring apparatus it has beencommon to make the shell of the sand-pump double, with an intermediatespace to admit water below the valve, to prevent the formation of avacuum when the sand-pump is lifted. In my construction no Valve is usedand no means is required to break the vacuum. The adjustable nozzle Ndiffers from such prior constructions in being adjustable to admit avariable quantity of fluid, and it differs from the telescopicconstruction, which is some times used in movable tubes, in requiring aninternal guide, which is furnished herein by the lugs 0 projected fromdiiferent sides of the nozzle in such a relation to the sleeve as tosupport and center it in every required position. In operating with suchnozzle it is customary to move the nozzle about in the bed of mud orsand to draw the material from all parts of the bed, and this is ofteneffected by swiveling the suction-pipe or swiveling the dredging-boatupon a spud; but the means for effecting such movement is not shownherein, as it forms no part of the present invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what is claimed hereinis- 1. The method of preventing the access of grit to pistons, inpumping gritty fluids within two cylinders connected by a channel abovethe pistons, and having pistons constructed to discharge a film of waterpast their peripheries, and the pistons moved by means of piston rods inopposite directions, which consists in forcing Water simultaneously intoboth cylinders above the pistons with a pressure exceeding theresistance below the same.

2. In a sand pump, the combination, with two cylinders having pistonsarranged to move in opposite directions and constructed to discharge afilm of water past their peripheries, of a pipe or channel connectingthe cylinders above the pistons, and means for forcing watersimultaneously into the cylinders above the pistons, substantially asset forth.

3. In a sand pump, the combination, with two cylinders having pistonsarranged to move in opposite directions and constructed to discharge afilm of water past their peripheries, of a pipe or channel connectingthe cylinders above the pistons, a pipe for supplying water to thecylinders or channel under pressure, and means for limiting orcontrolling the water pressure, as set forth.

4.. In a sand pump, the combination, with two cylinders having pistonsarranged to move in opposite directions and constructed to discharge afilm of Water past their peripheries, of a pipe or channel connectingthe cylinders above the pistons, and means, as a force pump connected bya pressure pipe to the channel Q and relief valve 3, for maintaining aregulated pressure above the pistons in excess of the resistance belowthe same, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In a sand pump, the combination, with two cylinders having pistonsconstructed to discharge a film of water past their peripheries, andhaving their piston rods connected to and actuated by a walking beam, ofa pipe or channel connecting the cylinders above the mediate annularwater space K a guide to 40 center the sleeve when moved upon thenozzle, and the means for adjusting the sleeve longitudinally upon thenozzle to admit a constant flow of water to mingle with the sand or mudat the nozzle, substantially as herein set forth.

7. In a dredging apparatus, a suction pipe having the nozzle K withcollar 0 having lugs projected therefrom, the sleeve N fitted to moveover such lugs, the collar 0 attached to the nozzle above the sleeve andconnected thereto by adjusting screws, the sleeve having its upper endopen and operating to admit a constant flow of water to mingle with thesand or mud at the nozzle, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

BARTON II. COFFEY.

Witnesses:

AMASA J. PARKER, J12, JNo. J. HUGHES.

